


penance

by sloppytozier



Series: life goes on [1]
Category: Broadchurch
Genre: Between S2 and S3, F/M, takes place during s2 e8
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:28:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28518645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sloppytozier/pseuds/sloppytozier
Summary: after sandbrook is closed and the trial is over, hardy has finally done his penance.
Relationships: Alec Hardy & Ellie Miller, Alec Hardy/Ellie Miller
Series: life goes on [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2089098
Comments: 3
Kudos: 43





	penance

It’s late. Four in the morning, to be precise. 

Alec sits awake in bed, mindlessly scrolling through the channels on TV, trying to find something to at least get him to sleep. He used to lie awake, thinking about Sandbrook, thinking about Danny Latimer, and then, the trial of his killer. 

Now, Joe was far away, never to be heard from again. Sandbrook was reopened and closed, just like that. Now, he could finally leave. Make peace, maybe be a father again. There was nothing more for him here, as he looks at the boxes full of documents, as well as his own belongings. Once, they were inseparable, emotional baggage and past failures unable to be untangled from the clothes he wore, the things he carried. Now, he was free to finally leave all that behind. 

As Alec reflects on his past, and his new future, a knock sounds at the door, followed by a hushed “Hardy!”

“Oh, bloody hell,” he mutters, glasses askew as he rises to get the door. There was one person in Broadchurch who would bother to come to his door at this time, but a small part of him is glad she is there. 

“Mil- Ellie?” He asks, squinting as he opens the door, stepping aside so she can walk inside the cluttered house. “What are you doing here? It’s four in the morning.”

“What, you think I don’t know that?” Ellie retorts quickly, standing in the middle of his mess, briefly looking around. “Anyway, it’s not like you were sleeping.”

Hardy rolls his eyes. Of course, she’s right, but she didn’t need to point it out. Anyone who’s ever laid eyes on him knows the last good nights sleep he had was years ago. “Alright then. What about wee Fred? D’you just leave him with Tom then?” 

Ellie shakes her head, trying to avoid her former superiors careful gaze. “No. They’re staying with my sister. She wanted me to sleep, or have fun. Something to take my mind off things, I suppose.”

Alec snorts, taking a seat on his bed. “Why’d you come here then? I’m the last person people want to have fun with. Never mind the fact it’s four in the mornin’.” 

Ellie sighs, crossing her arms and walking towards him, minding the mess of papers and photos strewn across the floor. “Well, I was out with Beth for a bit, but I couldn’t sleep once I got home.” She clears her throat, looking directly at Hardy. “Is it true you’re leaving tomorrow?” She asks, her voice suddenly going small and quiet. 

“Yeah,” Alec breathes in, looking around. “As soon as I’m done cleaning up this last mess, I’m going.”

“Where?” Ellie fixes her gaze on a picture of Pippa and Lisa, sitting down next to Hardy. Though they’d worked together for around a year or so, Ellie had never been this physically close to him, or felt this close to him. 

“Somewhere closer to Daisy. Not too close to Tess, I don’t think I could do that. But at least somewhere where I can see her more.” Alec lets out a sigh, rubbing his face tiredly as he turns to Miller. “I’ve done it. I’ve paid my dues, I’ve repented for my sins. Now I can pick up the pieces.” 

“You really think this is all your fault, don’t you?” Ellie breathes, moving closer and pressing a hand to his. His hand is cold, and he flinches from the sudden touch, before looking back at his former coworker. Never ever did she touch him, not in this way. 

Suddenly, the man who she resented for stealing her job, for turning her against her own town, and the one who seemed like a ten foot tall bureaucrat seemed so small, so alone. “Do you?”

“Well, yeah. So did you, when I first got here,” the detective points out, heaving a sigh. “Had I spent less time harassing Lee, the pendant wouldn’t have been stolen from Tess’ car. That’s the big one, really. I probably could have stayed closer to Daisy. Be a better father.” 

Ellie squeezes his hand, looking up at him. “That’s not your fault. I... I didn’t know what had actually happened Hardy, and I’m sorry. But it wasn’t your fault, it wasn’t your debt to repay.”

Alec smiles, the first genuine smile he’s given anyone in probably a year. “Well.” He clears his throat, and if Ellie didn’t know any better, she would think that he was going to cry. “Thanks Ellie,” he murmurs, turning his hand up and squeezing hers. “Y’know, you’re probably the only thing I’ll miss about this bloody town.” 

“Is that a compliment?”

Alec looks back at Ellie, and maybe it’s because there’s only one light on in the house, but she swears he’s blushing. “No good?” He asks, looking down at her with a soft smile. 

Ellie smiles back, inching closer to him. “Not terrible.” 

Then, slowly but suddenly, Ellie leans up, planting a kiss on his lips, cradling his cheek softly. 

Alecs eyes widen in surprise, but he melts into the kiss, gently grasping her waist as he pulls her closer. God only knew how bad he missed her while she was away in Devon, and even he himself forgot how much he missed her until he saw her again. 

“S-sorry,” Ellie murmurs, pulling away, taking a breath. “I, er, don’t know what came over me. I won-“

Alec interrupts her with a quick kiss, then pulls away, a small smug grin growing on his face. “Sh. It’s alright, I feel the same way.”

Ellie laughs. “Here, I think you need to sleep, Detective Hardy.”

“I could say the same to you, Detective Miller.” The man blushes as he looks at Ellie, then asks “Do you er... Want to stay here? With me?” 

“We don’t have to do anything like that,” he adds quickly, looking at her. “I just ah- I don’t want to be alone,” Alec confesses lamely, looking Ellie up and down. “Really, no pressure.” 

Ellie smiles shyly, and nods. “Course.” 

* * *

Later that day, Ellie wakes up with Alecs arms wrapped around her, snoring softly, But she didn’t mind. Truthfully, it was the best sleep she’d had in years. Instead of waking him up, she merely stared out the window. She wore a t-shirt of Alecs, something she didn’t even know he owned. It smelled like him and the house, and she decided she would keep it. 

“Morning, Miller,” Alec says tiredly, rubbing his eyes as he sits up in bed.

And suddenly, it truly hits Ellie that he’s leaving. For good. Never to return again. Now, she can’t bear to look at him. “Sleep well?” she asks, barely turning to look at him. 

She hates him for leaving her like this, even after what happened last night. But what was last night? A hasty goodbye? The two of them yearning to forget about the trauma they endured together? 

“Mm, yeah.” Alec gets up from the bed, looking down at her carefully. God, he’d miss her. But Daisy needed him. She was almost grown now, and the thought of not having a relationship with his daughter brought back a familiar feeling of panic. “You?”

“Yeah.” She wants to flee the scene, to go home and cry. But she needed to stay with him until the last, or she’d regret it. 

“Er, that’s good then,” Alec bites his lip. He wants to say so much more, but he knows Ellie has already put up her walls, and anything he’d say would bring back a cold reply. “I’m just going to get dressed then.” 

“Right,” Ellie replies, looking around the mess and boxes. Instinctively, she begins to clean up, if only to keep her mind off the inevitable. 

As she loses herself in the the mess, she feels a hand on her. Instinctively, she takes it, and turns to look up at him. 

“Don’t,” he says quietly, but it’s enough. Ellie stands up, and walks toward the door. 

“I’ve called a cab. You, er, don’t have to wait here with me, you know.”

Ellie shrugs. “It’s not a problem. So, this is goodbye then?”

Alec nods. He begins to move in for a hug, but Ellie shakes her head. 

“No, I can’t.” She breathes, looking up at him. Alec nods, and instead offers a hand. 

Alec takes it. “Thanks, Ellie,” he says, before letting go of her and to gather his things. 

Ellie nods, and leaves without saying another word. 

**Author's Note:**

> hi guys! i’m hoping to write more broadchurch, feedback and kudos are always appreciated <3  
> tumblr- s0ftlvrs


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